Method and apparatus for providing web based services using an XML Runtime model to store state session data

• US 6,792,605 B1
• Filed: 06/10/1999
• Issued: 09/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bow Street Software Incorporated
• Inventors: Roberts, Andrew F., Booth, Jonathan W., Burati, Michael R., Sommers, Joseph III, Serfass, John T. Jr., Beauvais, Thomas E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harvey, Jack B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PRIETO, BEATRIZ
• Application Number:
  US09/329,606
• Time in Patent Office: 1,923 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201-203, 709/217-219, 709/228-230, 709/225, 709/238, 709/231, 707/507, 707/522, 707/104, 707/3, 379/900, 719/313-317
• US Class Current: 719/313
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4523 using lightweight directory access protocol [LDAP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for accessing and using services and applications from a number of sources into a customized application. The present invention accomplishes this through an entity referred to as a web service. The web services architecture maintains a directory of services available to provide processing or services, along with the location of the services and the input/output schemas required by the services. When a request for data or services is received, appropriate services are invoked by a web services engine using service drivers associated with each service. A web services application is then generated from a runtime model and is invoked to satisfy the request, by communicating as necessary with services in proper I/O formats. In one embodiment, the web services application provides responses in the form of HTML that can be used to generate pages to a browser.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a directory of identifiers and metadata to a plurality of network services, wherein said plurality of network services receive Extensible Markup Language (XML) inputs and produce XML outputs;

an engine, comprising a plurality of network service drivers, for receiving requests, wherein said engine uses said identifiers in said directory to direct said requests to access said plurality of network services when requested, and constructs a state storing session for interfacing with said plurality of network services by using one of said plurality of network services to transform an XML runtime model into said state storing session, wherein said XML runtime model defines interaction between said state storing session and said plurality of network services, wherein said state storing session uses one of said plurality network service drivers to interface with each of said plurality of network services via stateless network protocols and said state storing session is configured from said metadata from said directory; and

a plurality of network service providers, accessible to said plurality of network service drivers, for providing network services identified in said directory.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said metadata defines a schema of a network service'"'"'s input and output interfaces.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said metadata further includes configuration parameters for configuring a network service driver associated with one of said plurality of network services.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of network services are accessible via an Application Program Interface (API).

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of network services are Extensible Markup Language (XML) based network services.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of network service providers comprises an entity that is capable of receiving some information and providing a response.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said engine interprets said requests and determines what network services are needed, directs requests to appropriate network services via said plurality of network service drivers, and builds responses into replies.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said requests comprise Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) requests.

9. A computer Program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein configured for accessing a plurality of network services, said computer program product comprising;

computer readable code configured to cause a computer to store identifiers and metadata of a plurality of network services in a directory, wherein said plurality of network services receive Extensible Markup Language (XML) inputs and produce XML outputs and said plurality of network services are provided by a plurality of network service providers;

computer readable code configured to cause a computer to provide requests to an engine, comprising a plurality of network service drivers, wherein said engine uses said identifiers to direct said requests to access said plurality of network services when requested; and

computer readable code configured to cause a computer to construct a state storing session for interfacing with said plurality of network services, wherein said state storing session is created by using one of said plurality of network services to transform an XML runtime model into said state storing session, wherein said XML runtime model defines interaction between said state storing session and said plurality of network services, wherein said state storing session uses one of said plurality network service drivers to interface with said plurality of network services via stateless network protocols and said state storing session is configured from said metadata from said directory;

wherein said plurality of network services interface with said engine via said plurality of network service drivers based on said requests.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein said metadata defines a schema of a service'"'"'s input and output interfaces.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein said metadata further includes configuration parameters for configuring a network service driver associated with one of said plurality network services.

12. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein said plurality of network services are accessible via an Application Program Interface (API).

13. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein said plurality of network services are Extensible Markup Language (XML) based network services.

14. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein each of said a plurality of network service providers comprises an entity that is capable of receiving some information and providing a response.

15. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein said engine interprets said requests and determines what network services are needed, directs request to appropriate network services via said plurality of service drivers, and builds responses into replies.

16. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein said requests comprise Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) requests.